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The American Farm Bureau Federation is calling on the U.S. Senate to follow the House’s lead in passing a disapproval resolution regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s Planning 2.0 rule. This initiative, known as Planning 2.0, aims to increase public involvement and incorporate the most current data and technology into our land use planning.

This week the House passed a resolution against a Bureau of Land Management rule pushed through in the final weeks of the Obama administration. AFBF congressional relations director Ryan Yates says the rule—known as Planning 2.0—would negatively impact federal land-use planning processes.

“Unfortunately, while the BLM suggested that they were looking to find a way to expand the ability for the public and local governments and affected users to better weigh in and comment on land management decisions, the rule did the exact opposite,” said Yates.

Yates says there were several problems with rule that prompted the House to act.

“There was broad consensus in the debate that the process for developing the rule was flawed, fundamentally the provisions within the rule were flawed and outside of the scope of law, and ultimately passed a bipartisan resolution of disapproval,” explained Yates.

The Senate must pass its own disapproval resolution before the regulation can be rescinded. Yates says the bipartisan vote in the House could lead to a timely vote in the Senate, but farmers and ranchers need to let their senators know how the rule will hurt them.

“Members from the United States Senate need to hear from their constituents that this BLM rule is flawed and needs to be disapproved, so we’ll be reaching out to our friends in the Senate and urging a yes vote on that resolution of disapproval,” said Yates.